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12 Tips to Touch Up Your Wedding Makeup Like a Pro

With cameras flashing all night long from your wedding photographer and all your paparazzi-for-a-day guests, you'll want to look your best all night long on your big day. Even with the best professional makeup, the kissing, crying, and fun fest will take a toll on your look. Use these tips for pro-worthy touchups.

For Your Face

Prep breakouts.

If the stress of the pre-wedding hustle has you breaking out, choose your pre-wedding skin prep carefully. "If you have a breakout in the days before your wedding, don't use benzoyl peroxide products," says Traci Fine of Fine Makeup Art & Associates Chicago. "It forms a crust of dry skin, and makeup on top of this dry patch will look flakey." Instead she recommends using Neosporin to heal your skin rapidly without drying it out. Apply at night or after washing your face. Another great option is Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick with Tea Tree Oil.

Use a blotting powder.

Our other expert, Austin-based makeup artist Makenzi Laine, recommends using a blotting powder on oily areas, especially if you're wearing airbrush makeup, which shouldn't require much touch up. "A little shine is good and will keep you looking dewy and fresh, so don't overdo it," she says. A few good options include Becca Cosmetics Blotting Powder Perfector and Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage.

Camouflage with a cream concealer.

If you need to add concealer on top of an already completed makeup that's been powdered, Fine suggests a creamy concealer. She says Bobbi Brown makes a great one. "You need a creamy concealer that will blend into the existing foundation without caking," she says. "Dot over the area you want to cover, use your ring finger to lightly pat the makeup, pat until blended, and then finish with a light dusting of powder."

Photography by: Getty

For Your Cheeks

Pick the right blush brush.

Make sure you have a soft, full brush in your makeup bag. Laine likes IT Brushes for Ulta Airbrush Powder Wand Brush #108. "Too small of a brush will give you the dreaded '80s stripe that you'll then have to blend to correct," says Laine.

Use dusting powder.

Using the same color your makeup artist used, reapply your blush. "Blend blush with a light dusting powder around the edges to give a natural look," says Fine.

Photography by: Aaron Dyer

For Your Eyes

Prep and seal.

Worried about creasing? "The trick here is to prevent creasing from happening in the first place," says Fine. Start with a primer, she loves Laura Mercier Eye Basic Eye Primer. After applying the eyeshadow, tops if off with dusting powder to keep it in place.

Buff it out.

If you or your makeup artist don't use primer or it's just not doing the job, you'll need to reapply. "Dust a little eyeshadow onto the problem area with a fluffy shadow brush, and softly buff out any creasing," says Laine. Her go-to brush: IT Brushes for Ulta You're Easy on The Eyes Dual-Ended Eye Shadow Brush Set.

Photography by: Paul Sunday

For Your Lips

Time your touchup.

With all the talking and kissing going on, you'll likely be in need of a post-ceremony application. "Typically you have a few minutes to yourself, and you probably need a touchup after the big kiss," says Laine. Beyond that she recommends putting your maid of honor in charge of carrying your lipstick and giving you reminder throughout the night.

Choose a long-wear product.

When working with your makeup artist, request a long-wear product like Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick or Tarte Double Duty Beauty's The Lip Sculptor. "Be sure to exfoliate your lips beforehand to avoid any flakiness," says Laine. She likes to use a washcloth with warm water followed by a moisturizing lip balm. Next, she'll add a lip stain or long-wear lipstick topped with Smith's Rosebud Salve to trap in moisture.

Apply, blot, repeat.

The key to a perfect lip color is layering. "For a long-lasting color, apply lipstick, blot, and reapply," says Fine. "The thin layers will keep color from fading."

Tia's love affair with weddings started with 16 sweet little words, "Dad, I met a man in Rome, and he's wonderful and brilliant, and we're getting married." That was all it took. Now she's married and writing about cakes, dresses, and décor to her heart's content, and she still watches Father of the Bride at least once a year (OK, maybe more like three or four times).